By Ben Hershey, CEO, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC As we start the New Year, a focus of many operations will be setting goals to remain competitive. Today’s companies in the LBM/Component/Modular market are looking for ways to drive efficiencies throughout their manufacturing processes. Extending Lean Manufacturing principles and practices while establishing a platform for continuous
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It’s Time to Huddle Up! Setting the tone for higher expectations and productivity
By Ben Hershey, CEO, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC I am often asked by lumber dealers, component manufacturers, and others for that “one thing” that will improve results, drive cultural change, hardwire behavior, or create lasting quality. I’ve come to realize there is no magic bullet to becoming a high reliability organization; it is a long-term
Celebrating BCMC 2018: How did you do Crafting Connections & Brewing Success?
By the time you read this, the dust will have settled after an incredibly successful BCMC Show in Milwaukee, WI. What a privilege to talk with so many of you last week and see many of the exciting new automation products we can use in our operations to make us far more efficient, and, more
Constructing a Roadmap to Operational Excellence Part 2: Continuing the Journey of 7 Steps
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC As discussed in “Part 1: Beginning a Journey of 7 Steps,” we all aspire to have a state of operational excellence in our organizations, which is easier said than done. Operational excellence is about more than simply adjusting the current way of doing things, although
Constructing a Roadmap to Operational Excellence Part 1: Beginning a Journey of 7 Steps
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC We all aspire to have a state of operational excellence in our organizations, but it is often much easier said than done. Although it’s often conceptualized as merely tweaking the current way of doing things, operational excellence is about much more than that. For component
The Relationship Between Lean and Safety
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC In my experience and with the work I do with hundreds of component manufacturers, I find that many companies will tell me Safety is important, but, in practice, safety is treated as a burden on the company. Good managers will always have an attitude that
How Does Your Company Performance Measure Up? The Importance of Benchmarking
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC I read a book recently that discussed the term “benchmark” and its origins as relates to business. Surprisingly, the term originates within the history of guns and ammunition. In fact, with the same aim we use it today— comparison and improved performance. The book
Moving From Best to Next Practices
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC As an industry, there are many times I believe we have been behind the curve in adopting/taking on new technology or hardware in our operations. Over the past 15 years or so, we have seen incredible growth in the use of automation, software, etc., but
Emerging Pillars for Business Success
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC As companies grow and change, we should ask ourselves—what are the essential pillars of support that help companies succeed? While making changes that will transform their businesses, successful companies will rely on core pillars that form the foundation of who they will be in the
Change Your Dynamic By Investing in Your Team
By Ben Hershey, President & Coach, 4Ward Consulting Group, LLC What is the difference between companies which are stuck in the status quo and those which are transforming themselves into the leader in their industry? One significant difference is their focus on Continuous Improvement. By focusing on making things better—People, Projects, and Process—these leading companies